1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a ladder assembly on a boat trailer for facilitating entry to and exit from the bow of a boat on the trailer, more particularly an adjustable boat trailer bow entry ladder assembly having a base platform, a brace device, and a boarding rail on one side.
2. Background Information
Boating is a very popular pastime in geographic areas that are close to large bodies of water. With this popularity, boats have increased in number and grandeur. Since most boat owners use boat trailers to haul their boats to the bodies of water, larger and larger sized boats are being towed by large trailers with two and three axels to accommodate these big boats. Occasionally, one even sees a four axel trailer at the boat ramp. These large boats have a high freeboard and require ladders to climb into the boat when the boat is parked on the trailer. Also, boaters often go boating by themselves and do not have qualified assistants to help launch or retrieve the boat. The boat trailer ladder assembly of the present invention facilitates the off-loading (launching) and on-loading of a boat onto a boat trailer as the trailer sits with its hubs in the water on a sloping boat ramp connected to a tow vehicle.
Currently available boat ladders include ladders that are mounted on a boat stem for entering the boat from the water, or exiting the boat into the water (e.g., for swimming or water skiing). They also include folding ladders mounted on a boat. Ladders mounted on a ship for traveling to and from an upper deck of the ship are also known.
During the launching (off-loading) phase, the boater can disconnect the trailer's attaching cable or strap, and use the bow ladder assembly of the present invention to step up from the boat trailer into the boat. The boater can then power up the boat, back the boat off the trailer, and then dock and secure the boat. The boater can then leave the boat and retrieve the unloaded trailer from the loading ramp.
After the outing, loading the boat back onto the boat trailer requires boating skills. For example, the boater must move the trailer to the boat ramp, and line up and propel the boat to where the retrieving cable or strap of the trailer can be attached to the boat. The boat can then be winched onto the trailer. This loading phase is especially difficult after a tiring day in the sun water skiing or the like. Often the boat is propelled up to the attaching post, but the boat must still be secured to the boat before the boat trailer can be pulled out of the water. The present invention allows the boat operator to safely descend to the trailer platform from the bow of the boat, secure the boat, and step out onto the dry portion of the ramp. Where the tow vehicle is a pickup truck, the boater can step directly onto the tow vehicle from the ladder assembly. The tow vehicle and loaded trailer can be driven up the ramp and onto a level area to allow other boaters to either retrieve or launch their boats.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a permanent, secure bow entry ladder, so the user can work on the boat at home or in dry storage, for example. A stable step ladder entry for accomplishing boat repairs is highly desirable for safety and efficiency.